Photographer + Marketing Professional + Traveler + Coffee Lover

Wedding Planning: How to Cut Costs

I enjoyed planning our wedding. Luke was helpful + our families were helpful + we had wonderful vendors on our team. We didn’t want to spend our life saving on a wedding so we got creative + found ways to cut costs.

Here are the top things we CUT COSTS on:

Engagement Photos: We had family take impromptu photos. My dad + aunt snapped a few shots a family Christmas. See previous post. You only need a few good shots to use for your website + save the dates + decor. Try to find a friend or family member who is good with a camera and ask them to snap a few.

Stationary: I designed our save the dates + invites + guestbook. I uploaded the design to an online printer + boom + saved a bunch of money. They were also very personable + showcased who we are as a couple.

RSVPs: We did online RSVPs thru our wedding website. It was so easy to keep track of guests + saved money on printing + postage. We never heard any complaints about not having a hard copy RSVP. Thumbs up!

Venue: A huge cost saver was choosing the right venue. We made sure we would be able to bring in all of our own alcohol and food. Thus, enabling us to shop around for cost. We also looked for a venue where we would be able to rent the space for the entire weekend, eliminating the need to hiring a decorator. The venue was unique + beautiful so we did not do much decor. It didn’t need it. Saved us time + headache + money.

Programs: We did not print programs for the ceremony. Guests look at them, then toss. Another fluff piece that guest did not miss. Instead, we hand wrote our bridal party + family on an easel that was displayed at the ceremony. Then we also brought it to the reception + displayed by our guestbook.

Flowers: We had minimal flowers at our wedding. Bouquets for myself + bridesmaids + wrist corsages for mothers + grandmothers. We asked my aunt, who has a green thumb + eye for design, do arrange our flowers. She bought simple white flowers + greenery in bulk + arranged them at her home. They were beautiful + only cost us $200. Steal!

Decor: We used a lot of items we already have around the house (wicker baskets, glasses vases, mason jars, etc.) + shopped at Goodwill. The only major decor pieces were our centerpieces. We bought cutting boards from Ikea + Luke’s dad engraved them with our last name + wedding date. We bought bread from local Amish women + dipping oils + olives…pulled together to create a beautiful + edible centerpiece. We gifted the cutting boards to our families + bridal party after the wedding.

Food: We hired a caterer for our main meal, but all of the other food was provided by us, making it much cheaper. For cocktail hour, we had a “favorites table” with all of our favorite snacks. Red vines + funyons + peanut m&ms + donuts. It was personable + cheap. 🙂 For dessert, my grandmas made several different kinds of cookies. It was a huge hit + meant so much to us.